Japan Women's University of Nutrition, known for having the highest number of students passing the registered dietitian exam for 12 consecutive years, has announced that it will become a coeducational institution from April 2026. The junior college will also become coeducational in the same year, and will change its name to reflect the coeducational nature of the institution. The graduate school and vocational school have already become coeducational, and the university plans to take new steps towards its 4th anniversary as a comprehensive food institution.
The history of the Japan Women's University of Nutrition dates back to 1933. Aya Kagawa, a doctor who built the foundations of nutrition in Japan by creating measuring cups, measuring spoons and other measuring tools, cooking cards (recipe), and being involved in the creation of the "registered dietitian" position, founded the "Family Food Research Association" with her husband, which led to the establishment of Kagawa Women's Nutrition School, the Japan Women's Nutrition Junior College in 1956, and the Japan Women's University of Nutrition in 1961. Based on the founding spirit of "maintaining and improving human health through food," the university is dedicated to realizing this spirit through nutrition and its practice.
Currently, the school has one faculty and three departments, the Faculty of Nutrition, Department of Practical Nutrition, Department of Health Nutrition, and Department of Food Culture and Nutrition, on its campus in Sakado City, Saitama Prefecture, with approximately 1 students studying there. In 3, 2,000 students passed the registered dietitian exam (pass rate 2024%), ranking first in the nation for the 221th consecutive year. From the 97.4 academic year, the Department of Health and Nutrition, Nutrition Science major will be renamed "Nutrition Innovation Major," and three areas will be established: "Food and Wellness Area," "Nutrition Data Science Area," and "Clinical Laboratory Science Area."
Generally, in coeducational schools, the proportion of male students in registered dietitian training departments is around 10%, but the proportion of males is high in the areas of "food development," "data science," and "clinical testing," which are related to the Nutrition Innovation major, so it is expected that coeducation will have an effect on student recruitment.
Universities that have announced they will become coeducational in 2024 include Nagoya Women's University (Nagoya Aoi University) and Kobe Shoin Women's University (Kobe Shoin University), and both are scheduled to become coeducational and change their names in April 2025.
reference:[Japan Women's University of Nutrition] [Faculty/Junior College] Coeducational status from 2026
